A guide to building a trail mix

A good trail mix is a small act of engineering. It should be crunchy and chewy in turns, a little sweet and a little salty, and sturdy enough to survive a rucksack. A bad one is a bag of raisins with a few sad peanuts hiding at the bottom. The difference is mostly down to balance, and balance is easy once you know the rules of thumb.

Start with a ratio

A reliable starting point is the 2:1:1 rule, measured by volume.

• Two parts nuts and seeds: the backbone of the mix
• One part dried fruit: for sweetness and chew
• One part extras: chocolate, coconut, crunchy cereal or something savoury

For a mix that fills one large jar, that might be two cups of nuts, a cup of fruit and a cup of extras. Scale it up or down as you like. If you prefer something more savoury, shrink the fruit and extras to a half part each.

Choose your nuts

Nuts do the heavy lifting, so give them some thought. Variety in size, shape and texture is what makes handfuls interesting.

• Almonds: firm, reliable and a little sweet. Raw almonds work, and roasted ones add depth.
• Cashews: buttery and soft-crunchy. Raw cashews bring a gentle sweetness that suits fruit.
• Peanuts: technically a legume, but they behave like a nut and keep the budget friendly.
• Walnuts and pecans: richer and slightly bitter, so use them in smaller amounts.
• Seeds: pumpkin and sunflower seeds add crunch and colour without competing for attention.

Aim for at least three kinds. Two nuts and a seed is a perfectly good start.

Add dried fruit with care

Fruit adds sweetness and a chewy contrast, but too much turns the mix sticky and heavy.

• Raisins and sultanas are the traditional choice and almost impossible to get wrong.
• Chopped dates or apricots add a deeper, jammier sweetness. Cut them into pea-sized pieces so they spread through the mix.
• Dried cranberries or cherries give a tart note.
• Banana chips and mango strips suit a tropical mix.

Large pieces of fruit can clump together, so chop them or toss them in a spoonful of the other ingredients before mixing.

Pick your extras

The extras are where you give the mix its personality.

• Chocolate: chips or small chunks. In warm weather they melt, so use dark chocolate or plan to eat the mix in a cool place.
• Coconut: toasted flakes add lightness.
• Crunchy cereal or pretzels: these add salt and a different kind of crunch.
• Spices: a pinch of cinnamon or chilli on the nuts changes the whole character.

If you want a ready-made example of how these elements fit together, our classic trail mix and chocolate orchard mix are good reference points. Browse the whole range in trail mixes.

Balance sweet, salty and crunchy

Taste is a three-way tug of war. A few tips:

1. Salt is your friend. A mix with no salt tastes flat. Use salted nuts, or toss the nuts with a pinch while warm.
2. Pair sweet with savoury. Chocolate and salted almonds, or dried mango and chilli cashews, are classic contrasts.
3. Mix textures. If every ingredient is hard, you are chewing a bag of gravel. Add something soft, something crisp, something chewy.
4. Keep pieces roughly the same size. Otherwise the heavy bits sink to the bottom and you end up with a layer of raisins.

Three starting recipes

The everyday mix: 2 cups almonds, 1 cup raisins, 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds.

The tropical mix: 1 cup cashews, 1 cup banana chips, 1/2 cup toasted coconut, 1/2 cup chopped dried mango, 1/2 cup macadamia or peanuts.

The savoury kick: 2 cups mixed roasted nuts, 1 cup pretzel pieces, 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika and a pinch of salt.

Toast first for more flavour

A few minutes in the oven wakes up the nuts. Spread them on a tray and roast at 160C (320F) for 8 to 12 minutes, stirring once. Cool them completely before mixing them with fruit or chocolate. Our guide on how to roast almonds at home gives the details.

Keep it crunchy

Moisture is the enemy. Dried fruit holds water and nuts absorb it, so a mix stored for a long time can turn soft and slightly chewy. To slow that:

• Use an airtight container, and fill it as full as you can so there is little air.
• Keep it out of heat and sunlight.
• Make smaller batches more often.
• For long walks, carry the mix in a sealed bag rather than loose in a pocket.

Chocolate and fruit also affect keeping times, which is another reason to make small batches. For more on how nuts hold up in storage, see storing nuts so they stay fresh.

A note on allergies

Mixes combine many ingredients, so anyone with an allergy should read the label on every component. If you are making a mix to share, tell people exactly what is in it. For general guidance, see the FDA page on food allergies.

A last word

Pick three nuts, one fruit, one extra and a pinch of salt. Taste, adjust, and make a note of what worked. Within a couple of batches you will have a signature mix that no shop-bought bag quite matches, and a few good reasons to go for a walk.